Moving is the final step after creating careful plans and sourcing a good location to take your organization to, so you need to make sure it’s successful and stress-free. When looking for a good commercial moving company, you should find out a few key things to know whether they’re right for you. Here are six questions you can ask them before you make your final decision.
1. Do You Have References?
A reputable commercial moving company should be more than happy to provide you with references from past customers and online testimonials if you request them. You can also try to check online to find reviews, with detailed ones being the best whether they’re positive or negative. Doing this will help you find a good commercial moving company that has a proven track record and avoid moving scams that could leave you with damaged or even stolen property.
2. Is Your Company Adequately Insured?
It’s important to work with a moving company that is compliant with local laws, and you can find this out by asking if they have the right insurance and have complied with relevant regulations. Ask for solid proof of the same so that you can be secure in knowing that should anything happen, insurance is available to back the commercial moving company you choose. If the company is hesitant to provide these, it’s best to assume they’re not legitimate and move on to the next one for the sake of your peace of mind.
3. How Will You Work Out the Cost?
Find out how the company comes up with its pricing structure so you can potentially know how much it will cost you well in advance. Whether the costs are calculated according to the weight of the load and distance traveled, time incurred and manpower needed, or a combination of all these, find out before you sign up. It may be advantageous for you to work with one company as opposed to another based on these, depending on the specifics of the items you’re moving, the distance you’re moving, and other details.
4. Are There Hidden Costs?
There’s no universal process for calculating moving costs, nor is there a single process used by each commercial moving company out there. Find out what is involved in their cost estimation and have a representative visit your office if possible to get a feel of the job so they can provide an accurate quote. When all is said and done, make sure that their quote is binding and won’t increase based on any of a number of variables. This will keep you safe from being surprised by a figure you were not expecting.
5. Will You Reassemble the Furniture After Moving?
The whole moving process can be draining, both mentally and physically. Make sure that you can all get a break if possible by finding out if the commercial moving company will reassemble all the furniture after unpacking it. Find out if this will cost extra as well, and go for the company that promises you the easiest and most convenient process.
6. Are There Items You Won’t Move?
Finally, different companies have different rules for items they cannot move. Things like liquor and alcoholic beverages may be off limits for certain companies to move due to state regulations or other reasons. If you have such items, it’s good to find a way to move them yourself. Other things include file cabinets that have sensitive materials, company safes, and network servers with proprietary intellectual property. Because different companies have different private regulations, it’s good to find out in advance if there are other specific items they won’t move so you’re not left at a crossroads come moving day.
According to Small Business Trends, a survey from Clutch found that an office relocation will affect 68% of employees positively. This is a good reason to plan for a stress-free move. This should inspire you to make the move if you’ve been planning for it. The six questions above should help you navigate the final steps of moving successfully and without hassle. Make sure to ask them to the moving companies you have shortlisted and pick the one that gives you the most satisfactory responses.